Charlotte Tilbury has created countless looks for stars and supermodels around the world, such as Kate Moss, Salma Hayek, Kim Kardashian, Penelope Cruz, and Jennifer Aniston. Her namesake brand is best known for the makeup line but, as Tilbury points out, every look she creates starts with great skincare, because ”you can’t have a beautiful painting without a beautiful canvas.”
— Skincare has always been important to me, she explains. I was creating my Magic Cream for models and celebrities in the 90s, long before I was creating makeup. It’s the product that launched my brand! It smooths and plumps the look of the skin, and it hydrates 3 times in just 1 hour, so your skin and makeup will look better, she says, continuing,
— My mission has always been to make skincare and makeup that is easy to choose, easy to use, and easy to understand, with long-term, clinically proven results. Together with my expert in-house scientists and skin innovation laboratories, I’ve developed a skincare wardrobe which combines the science of blending, light, and layering.
You’re celebrating 10 years this year, what has this first decade been for you as a brand owner?
— We have achieved so much. The secret to my success is my passion for innovation. I innovate, never imitate! Innovation is at the heart of what we do — we innovate in products, formulas, delivery systems, skincare and makeup, beauty-tech, content, and campaigns. I always say that I can anticipate what my customers need before they even know they need it.
One such innovation is last summer’s launch of a special app, what can you say about it?
— I want to give everyone the tools and tech they need to apply like a pro. My app, Easy Beauty for You, is like having ’me’ in your pocket, but better! You can virtually try on the looks of the stars in my Holiday campaign, unlock your personalised skincare, complexion, and makeup routine using my AI-powered pro beauty tech tools, learn step-by-step applications using my Augmented Reality tutorials, and join masterclasses to discover all of my holiday tips and tricks. I want to empower everyone, everywhere to download confidence!
— My skincare analysis tool is powered by AI and deep learning, so you can get personalised dermatology results in under 60 seconds. That’s 21 times faster than a standard clinical machine! You’ll also see the reasons why I recommend each product for you, and what each ingredient will do. This is skincare decoded at the most bespoke level. It’s fast, accurate, and so easy to use, like having 24/7 access to digital dermatology in your pocket.
In the mentioned Christmas campaign, Tilbury has collaborated with Elton John and his The Rocket Fund.
— He’s been a huge inspiration to me my entire life, says Tilbury. Many of the other people involved in the campaign are friends to both Elton and me, like my beauty muses Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. Purpose is at the heart of this campaign. It is an honour and a privilege to be the first-ever beauty partner of The Rocket Fund, powered by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, using our global media platforms to speak to those impacted and to be part of their mission to end AIDS forever. Together, we want to shine a spotlight on those who are most at risk from HIV and inspire and empower everyone, everywhere, to live a life filled with confidence, happiness, and joy.
Which are the key products in the campaign?
— My new innovation, The Beautyverse Palette. It’s a palette of trends, featuring everything from Latte eyes and Strawberry girl to Cyber girl, Glitter girl, and the ones I’m predicting as the next big things — Disco mermaid eyes and my new Digital Lilac shade. The rich, multi-dimensional pixel pigment formula is so buttery and smooth. Unlike so many other eye shadows on the market, this is creaseless, self-priming, self blending, and self-gripping, so it never goes blotchy, patchy, or dry. They’re so easy to apply — just swipe, glide, and press to pop!